Sound Awake
A Viennese trip, a personal loss, and a new career in film where he'll make an important friend... Donald Macleod follows a passionate and political Britten in his early twenties.
Benjamin Britten was one of the most influential British composers of the 20th century, with celebrated works such as 'Peter Grimes', 'Friday Afternoons' or 'A Simple Symphony'. Music infused his very first moments in life and he started to develop his musical instincts from a very early age. Many of his future masterpieces can be traced back to the inspiration of his youth. This week, Donald Macleod explores these crucial early years in Britten's creative story, from his birth under the star of St Cecilia to his departure for America at 25 years old.
A Viennese trip, a personal loss, and a new career in film where he'll make an important friend... In this fourth episode, we follow a passionate and political Britten in his early twenties.
Mont Juic (co-composed with Lennox Berkeley)
4th mvt, Allegro molto
English Chamber Orchestra
Steuart Bedford, conductor
Friday Afternoons (excerpts)
The St Catharine’s Girls’ Choir, Cambridge
Edward Wickham, director and piano
Suite for Violin and Piano, Op 6
III. Lullaby
IV. Waltz
Isabelle Faust, violin
Alexander Melnikov, piano
Train Sequence, from 'The King's Stamp'
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Martyn Brabbins, conductor
Percussion Sequence, from 'Night Mail' (text by W.H. Auden)
Simon Russell Beale, narrator
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Martyn Brabbins, conductor
Love Music, from 'Love from a Stranger'
´óÏó´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra
Jac van Steen, conductor
Russian Funeral [or War and death, an impression for brass orchestra]
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor
Soirées musicales, Op 9
National Philharmonic Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Julien Rosa
A ´óÏó´«Ã½ Audio Wales & West production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3
On radio
Broadcast
- Thu 20 Feb 2025 16:00´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Composers A to Z
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.